New City Catechism, Week 22 (Question 22)

Q: Why must the Redeemer be truly human?

Children’s answer

A: That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin

Adult/older children’s answer

A: That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also that he might sympathize with our weaknesses.

Video explanation:

Song to assist with memorization:

Relevant Scripture to read:

Hebrews 2:17

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people

Children’s Activity (printable pdfs)

Younger Kids (pages 4 and 5)

There are no resources for older kids currently available for this lesson.

Special thanks to Del Rey Church for sharing their New City Catechism kid resources with us!

Devotional questions for individual/family/group discussion:

  1. What are the two parts to Jesus’ obedience? Which one does the church tend to emphasize more? Why do you think this is?

  2. Have you ever had someone try to relate to you without really understanding what you are going through? How did it make you feel? How does the truth that Jesus relates to your weakness encourage you?

  3. We think of many ways to describe Jesus - how are you encouraged when you think of him as an older brother? How does he contrast with other older brothers in Scripture?

For an additional “deeper” dive into this question and answer, check out this video from Dr. Michael Allen (which a few of the above questions are based on):